Jump seat safety bar

ABSTRACT

A fire engine having a jump seat between front and rear side walls includes a sleeve horizontally connected to the rear side wall and a tube which is slidable in the sleeve. The front side wall supports a bracket having a key hole and the end of the tube includes a coupling member adapted to partially extend through the hole for engagement with the bracket. When the tube is extended from within the sleeve and the coupling and bracket are engaged the tube serves as a safety bar. Alternatively, when unobstructed access to the jump seat is desired, the tube may be pushed horizontally into the sleeve.

United States Patent Rynsky Oct. 15, 1974 J UMP-SEAT SAFETY BAR I Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

, Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar [76] Inventor' ygg Attorney, Agent, or FirmCarlos Nieves [21] Appl' 4142283 A fire engine having a jump seat between front and rear side walls includes a sleeve horizontally con- [52] U.S. Cl. 169/24 nected to h r r side w ll an a tube which is slid- [51] Int. Cl. A62c 27/00 abl in the sleeve. The front side wall Supports a [58] Field of Search 169/2 A, 24, 62; 272/36, bracket having a key hole and the end of the tube in- 272/38 cludes a coupling member adapted to partially extend through the hole for enga ement with the bracket. g [56] References Cited When the tube is extended from wtthm the sleeve and UNITED STATES PATENTS the coupling and bracket are engaged the tube serves as a safety bar. Alternatively, when unobstructed ac- ?233313 ill??? 523235552131111111ijiiijiiijjijiffiiiii w the Jump set is desired, the tube may be pushed horizontally into the sleeve.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures JUMP SEAT SAFETY BAR The subject invention relates to fire engines having jump seats and means for protecting firemen in the jump seats.

In known fire engines having jump seats safety bars have been provided. Typically, such safety bars have been pivotally connected on the cabin side of the jump seat and have been attachable to the rear side of the jump seat. Since the safety bars have been pivotally connected, when the safety bars are disconnected from the rear side of corresponding fire engines and released they pendularly oscillate and can trip or engage the clothing of firemen disembarking from the jump seats. To overcome this problem firemen have adopted the practice of lowering the safety bars to a substantially vertical position prior to disembarking. It has been noted that this procedure, while necessary to protect firemen, consumes time when it is of the essence if a fire is to be contained and extinguished. Moreover, even after a safety bar has been brought to rest in a vertical position firemen obtaining fire fighting equipment from the fire engine occasionally strike the bar and set it in motion, thereby increasing the probability that they will be tripped or that their clothing will be engaged. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fire engine having a jump seat with a telescopic safety bar.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fire engine having a jump seat and a safety bar which may be positioned for use or retracted, rapidly.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention are incorporated in the example now to be described with reference to the accompanying drawing,

' in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fire engine having a jump seat and a safety bar, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a bracket showing a hole used to support the safety bar;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bracket;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the safety bar connected to the fire engine, a portion of the view being broken away to show a coupling member on the end of the safety bar; and

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the fire engine showing the coupling member engaged with the bracket.

As shown in FIG. 1, a fire engine 10, according to the invention, includes a station 11 or jump seat between a pair of substantially vertical walls 12 and 13. Wall 12 supports a pair of clamps l4 and 15 and the clamps horizontally support against wall 12 a sleeve 16. Wall 13 supports a bracket 17 approximately in line with the sleeve 16. The sleeve slidably supports an elongated tubular member 18 having at its end a coupling member 19, more fully described below, engagable with the bracket 17 for holding a section of the elongated member between the vertical walls 12 and 13. Thus, when the sleeve is connected to the bracket by the coupling member 19 the section of the elongated member between the walls provides a safety bar which a fireman may hold, for example, when in transit on the station. When the fire engine is not in transit the elongated member may be stored within the sleeve so as not to obstruct ingress and egress from the station.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, bracket 17 is an elbow shaped plate having a section 21 with spaced holes 22 for facilitating its attachment to wall 17 with screws 23, and a section 24 having a hole 25. Hole 25 includes a circular part 26 (see FIG. 2) and a radially projecting part 27 which extends in a direction parallel to the corner of the bracket. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, bracket 17 is fixed to the wall 13 such that bracket section 24 is vertically oriented with the projecting part 27 of the hole pointing downwardly. In this example, the end of the projecting part 27 is semi-circular to provide, as more fully described below, a seat for coupling member 19.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, coupling member 19 includes a cylindrical stem 30, a circular collar 31, a conical end 33, and a circular neck section 32 between the conical end and the collar. Stem 30 has a diameter adapted to snugly engage an inside end section of the elongated tubular member 18 and is secured thereto with the end of the elongated member in abutment with one side of collar 31. The other side of the collar provides a circular shoulder 34 facing a circular shoulder 35 provided by the base of conical end 33, shoulders 34 and 35 being spaced by the neck section 32. The diameter of the base is smaller than the diameter of the circular part 26 of the hole but larger than the diameter of the semi-circular end of projecting part 27; the axial length of the neck is slightly larger than the thickness of plate section 24, and the diameter of collar 31 is larger than the diameter of the circular part of the hole 27. To engage the coupling member 19 with the bracket 17, the conical end 33 may be inserted through the circular part of the hole until shoulder 34 abuts the plate section 24 and, thereafter, sliding the neck section into the projecting part'27 of the hole. Once the bracket and coupling member are engaged shoulders 34 and 35 limit movement of the coupling member in a direction along its axis. Since engagement of the bracket 17 and'coupling 19 requires that the coupling be moved in a substantially vertical direction and the coupling is fixed to the elongated tubular member 18, the inner diameter of the sleeve should be large enough to permit some movement of the elongated tubular member in a direction transverse to the axis of the sleeve 16.

It should be noted that when the coupling is moved horizontally towards the bracket for engagement the axis of the coupling and the circular part of the hole need not be in alignment because when the conical end 33 strikes the edge of the hole furthur horizontal movement will cause the conical end to slide through the hole. The latter is important because it enables a rapid engagement between the bracket and coupling to provide a safety rail. In addition, it should be noted that when the coupling and bracket are disengaged the elongated tubular member may be moved rapidly into the sleeve. Thus, the elongated tubular member will not interfere with travel to and from the station by a fireman.

In the embodiment described above the coupling member 19 is connected to the elongated member 18. However, if desired, this combination may be manufactured as a single unit. Furthur, the elongated member 18 and the sleeve 16 need not be circular so long as they are slideably related. From the foregoing it will be apparent that other modifications of the embodiment may be provided without deviating from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the description herein of a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth as an example thereof and is not to be construed or interpreted as a limitation on the claims which follow and define the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a. a fire engine having a station for a fireman between a pair of substantially vertical walls;

b. a sleeve connected to one of the vertical walls;

0. a bracket connected to the other of the vertical walls;

d. an elongated member slidable within said sleeve;

and

e. coupling means fixed to an end of the elongated member and engagable with the bracket for holding a section of the elongated member between the vertical walls.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a plate section having a hole; and wherein said coupling means including a first shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on one side of the plate section and a second shoulder engageable with an area adjacent the hole on the other side of the plate section, said first and second shoulders being spaced to slidably engage the plate section.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said hole includes a circular part; wherein said first shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the shoulder being smaller than the diameter of the circular section; and wherein said second shoulder is circular, the outer di ameter of the second shoulder being greater than the diameter of the circular part of the hole.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said coupling means includes: a conical end, said first shoulder being provided by the base of the conical end; and a collar, said second shoulder being provided by the collar.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said hole includes a radially projecting partyand wherein said coupling means includes between the shoulders a neck section, the neck section being slidable within the radially projecting part of the hole.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated member is tubular; wherein the coupling means includes a stem, the stem being fixed to an inside end of the elongated member; and wherein said sleeve is connected to said one of the vertical walls horizontally.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the bracket is connected to the other of the vertical walls in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the bracket includes a plate section having a hole; and wherein said coupling means includes a first shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on one side of the plate section and a second shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on the other side of the plate section, said first and second shoulders being spaced to slidably engage the plate section.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said hole includes a circular part; wherein said first shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the shoulder being smaller than the diameter of the circular section; and wherein said second shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the second shoulder being greater than the diameter of the circular part of the hole.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said coupling means includes a conical end, said first shoulder being provided by the base of the conical end, a collar, said second shoulder being provided by the collar, and a neck section between the conical end and the collar; and wherein the hole includes a radially projecting part, the neck section being slidable within the radially projecting part of the hole. 

1. Apparatus, comprising: a. a fire engine having a station for A fireman between a pair of substantially vertical walls; b. a sleeve connected to one of the vertical walls; c. a bracket connected to the other of the vertical walls; d. an elongated member slidable within said sleeve; and e. coupling means fixed to an end of the elongated member and engagable with the bracket for holding a section of the elongated member between the vertical walls.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a plate section having a hole; and wherein said coupling means including a first shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on one side of the plate section and a second shoulder engageable with an area adjacent the hole on the other side of the plate section, said first and second shoulders being spaced to slidably engage the plate section.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said hole includes a circular part; wherein said first shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the shoulder being smaller than the diameter of the circular section; and wherein said second shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the second shoulder being greater than the diameter of the circular part of the hole.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said coupling means includes: a conical end, said first shoulder being provided by the base of the conical end; and a collar, said second shoulder being provided by the collar.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said hole includes a radially projecting part; and wherein said coupling means includes between the shoulders a neck section, the neck section being slidable within the radially projecting part of the hole.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated member is tubular; wherein the coupling means includes a stem, the stem being fixed to an inside end of the elongated member; and wherein said sleeve is connected to said one of the vertical walls horizontally.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the bracket is connected to the other of the vertical walls in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the bracket includes a plate section having a hole; and wherein said coupling means includes a first shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on one side of the plate section and a second shoulder engagable with an area adjacent the hole on the other side of the plate section, said first and second shoulders being spaced to slidably engage the plate section.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said hole includes a circular part; wherein said first shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the shoulder being smaller than the diameter of the circular section; and wherein said second shoulder is circular, the outer diameter of the second shoulder being greater than the diameter of the circular part of the hole.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said coupling means includes a conical end, said first shoulder being provided by the base of the conical end, a collar, said second shoulder being provided by the collar, and a neck section between the conical end and the collar; and wherein the hole includes a radially projecting part, the neck section being slidable within the radially projecting part of the hole. 